On the Easel

AT the easel today, while I watch the snow storm build up outside!

This has been one crazy winter!

I'm getting ready to do a featured show with a fellow artist at the East Colony Fine Art in May.

This will be one of the paintings. I will post it again when it is completed!

Work in Progress by Dee Lessard

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"Gerber Baby" final portrait painting

After completing this painting with a yellow background I wasn't totally at peace about it.

I finally put it into photoshop and did a quick color adjustment 

to see how it would look with a blue background.

I sent it on to the buyers and they agreed with the assessment.

 Gerber Baby draft one

 So, back to the easel we went.....

 Gerber Baby Final draft!
(with watermark "oil paintings by Dee Lessard" put on through photoshop....not on actual painting!)

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"Gerber Baby" Portrait painting

 I was talking with a fellow artist and got a kick in the pants
(that I really needed) to get back on track with posting my art work.

Here is a project I worked on this summer.
I called her the "Gerber Baby" I was commissioned to do this
by the grandmother and it was being gifted to the baby's mother!
steps are from left to right .....

1. I started with a sketch (top left).
2.  I transferred the drawing to canvas and did an underpainting.
3. I build up with color.
4. Then begin to add detail.(this is about half way done)

The "first" finish had a yellow background. I wasn't totally settled with it so I asked the buyers which they would prefer...yellow or blue. They chose blue. I think it was a great choice! I will post the two final pictures later this week!

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Success & Prosperity

Success & Prosperity    20x24   by Dee Lessard

     

         OK...here it is! Finally finished! I added the color to the leaves and a touch of yellow within the peonies and worked on the table....and of course signed it!   I'm very pleased with how this came out! And especially that I finally completed it! ;)

I Hope you all have a wonderful holiday week-end! Happy Easter!

This painting is available for purchase. You may contact me with all inquiries here.

WIP-#3 Success & Prosperity

WIP- Success & Prosperity    16x20    oil    by Dee Lessard

I have the Geisha and background almost done. You can see that I'm near the bottom of the Geisha by the tone change. Now you can see that I have begun to change the peonies that I mentioned in my previous post. What a huge improvement. I am excited to finish this painting now!!!

As promised, here is more on the reason for the name of the painting...
The Asian people have a lot of symbolic significance to things. For example, the peonies mean prosperity. The origins of the Geisha (as opposed to her current reputation)  show that she is groomed to perform in the arts (music and story telling to name a couple) specifically for the wealthy.
Both represent beauty and elegance. With much hope, prayer and love may Japan soon be restored.

WIP-#2 Success & Prosperity

Success & Prosperity    oil by Dee Lessard

I have done the under-painting in the brown monochromatic color mix of half raw umber and half Burnt umber (Adding white to lighten the mixture where needed.) The whole thing starts to take shape based solely on tonal value, much like a black & white image only in sepia color instead. By mapping out values it helps to see where your contrasts are and how your eye travels around the painting.

 I had this stage of the painting done for quite some time and wasn't really thrilled with it. Sometimes I have to "live with" something for a while and figure out why I feel the way I do.  As an artist we are always evolving ad growing (at least that's what we hope for and what's fun about art). And recently I figured out why it lost interest for me and was able to go back in and fix it! The problem? There were 2 round things next to each other and was not interesting at all. In case you are wondering...the white "round" thing in front was a type of peonies. As you will see in my next posting. I changed it to a different type of peonies.

If you are interested in following this process by e-mail (and haven't signed up yet) you can sign up on my blog on the right column.

WIP- #1 Success & Prosperity

WIP-1 Success & Prosperity 18x24 oil by Dee Lessard

Here is another work in progress. I toned the canvas with a real watery mixture of thinner with burnt sienna. I let it dry over night and start my drawing as you can see above, It's a rough drawing with NO details. At this point it is only a map for where I want to go. 

I started this painting last summer and got stuck on the under-painting. (I'll explain more in a future post as to why.) But picking this back up and working on this just before the Japan catastrophe. I decided to name this painting in honor of the Japanese people. They are so amazing with their quiet yet determined way of moving forward. Of course they will need lots of aid to pull them through this. But with faith and determination I believe there will be success & prosperity. (there is more to the meaning of this name that I will also explain later.)

How to paint like the masters-WIP#6- Welcome Friends

step 6- almost done! values are in place and now its a matter of a few details here and there!

I darkened up the darks and worked also on bringing up the highlights that shine on the bottles and glass.  Here is a link to the final painting... "Welcome Friends"

How to paint like the masters-WIP#5- Welcome Friends

 

In step 5- I start adding the white in the table napkin and shadow is more pronounced.

Again this step is moving closer to the foreground.

How to paint like the masters- WIP#4- Welcome Friends

WIP- step 4 I begin to add color. It helps having the underpainting as a sort of value map for this step. As you can see I typically go from the background and work my way forward.

How to paint like the masters- WIP#3- Welcome Friends

Step 3 is actually more of step 2! Here the underpainting is completed

How to paint like the masters-WIP #2- Welcome Friends

Here is the next step-2. I usually do an underpainting in raw & burnt umber. It ends up looking like a sepia toned image but clearly maps out my light, mid and dark areas

How to paint like the masters- WIP#1 Welcome Friends

Some of you may remember this painting I did. I found pictures I had taken of the work in progress (WIP). So that I don't overwhelm your e-mail downloads I will only be posting one image a day. (There are about 6) 

I tone the canvas with a wash of raw and burnt sienna and thinner. After it is dry I sketch the image on the canvas. This is what I did this time but sometimes I use burnt sienna and a size 10 round brush to sketch in with paint instead.

WIP-orange peel

WIP (work in progress)   by Dee Lessard

Here is an under-painting of an orange I am working on. You may recognize it as I have used a similar set up in one of my larger paintings. I am being featured in a show this month at East Colony Fine Art Gallery here in Manchester and the larger painting (A-peeling Series; Fruit & Nuts) is in this show. The show is called Deja Vu ...which in French means "I've seen that before". So, I thought it would be fun to take one element out of the larger painting and do it in a small painting. I hope to post the finished painting later on this week!

Artichoke

Artichoke     5x7  oil  by Dee Lessard

I'm working on some small pieces to try and paint more....an almost daily painting!

Above you will see the underpainting that I start with .... in a sepia color.

Below it is the first layer of paint and for this piece the final layer...

in some of my work I can go in one or two more layers depending on the effect I'm looking for.

I was looking to keep this a little less detailed.

 $75+shipping

WIP- onions 3

WIP - onions 3      by Dee Lessard

Here it is...almost finished! Now I keep it up and tweak minor details throughout the week as I see where I can improve it. The painting actually fell while it was drying and messed some detail that I'll have to fix. (it happened after taking this picture).

WIP - onions 2

WIP - Onions     by Dee Lessard

This is step 2 of the onions. I redid the background, worked more on the towel and finished the table. Almost done! haven't decided on a name yet....what do you think of "Chef's Choice".

I'm open to suggestions though! (please post your comments & suggestions on my  blog!)

WIP- onions-

WIP- onions      by Dee Lessard

I have been busy with this painting. I haven't named it yet but here it is about half done. Forgive me for the poor quality of the image. I was using a small camera and poor lighting, but wanted to be sure to take a minute to capture the process. (while my good camera was away getting fixed).

Anyways, watch for more this week on this one.

China Teacups

China Teacups     oil by Dee Lessard  6x6

Here is the final step on the teacups. I just had to add the floral painting onto the bottom cup and a hint of gold on the edges of the bottom cup & saucer. 

I love the finishing touches....

This painting will be part of an exhibit I will be doing in February at

East Colony Fine Art Gallery in Manchester, NH.

Reception is Saturday, 2/12/2011 5:00-8:00pm

If you want to see the steps it took to complete this painting

you can look on the right column of the blog where you will see a list of "posts". Look under "work in progress"

WIP- Teacups

OK, so some of you are probably wondering what happened to those teacups.....
Here's some work I did on them last week and hope to post the final later THIS week!

Just adding some detail onto the cups. This is the fun part! I love the detail.
Keep your fingers crossed that I'll get it finished and be able to post before the end of the week!